VANESSA N. PUHAK
Vanessa Puhak is an associate attorney at Sullivan & Hilscher, P.A.
Mrs. Puhak is a graduate of the University of South Carolina, where she majored in psychology. She went on to obtain her Juris Doctor degree from Campbell University- Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law in 2017. Prior to attending law school, she served our country as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army. She completed a humanitarian mission in Haiti and a combat deployment in Afghanistan.
Mrs. Puhak is a native of New Jersey, but she spent most of her childhood in Uruguay, the home of her parents. Due to her upbringing there, she is fluent in Spanish.
She began her legal career at Legal Aid of North Carolina handling family law cases, especially those involving victims of domestic violence. Mrs. Puhak also has experience in international child abduction cases.
As a former Army officer and former military spouse, Mrs. Puhak has an in-depth understanding of the issues and outcomes involved with a military-related divorce.
Mrs. Puhak was admitted to the North Carolina State Bar in 2017. She is also admitted to practice in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina. She is a member of the Family Law Section of the North Carolina Bar Association as well as the 10th Judicial District and Wake County Bar Associations.
Mrs. Puhak lives with her husband, stepson, stepdaughter, son and two dogs. She enjoys spending time with her family, going to the beach, soccer, hiking, reading and traveling. She has visited 14 countries so far and hopes to visit many more.
Building on her profound understanding of family law and military life, Mrs. Puhak recently attended a legal conference focused on mental health in the legal profession, particularly highlighting the challenges of managing ADHD among practicing lawyers. Recognizing the stigma and obstacles related to obtaining necessary medications, she is actively working to simplify the process for legal professionals to access ADHD treatments like Strattera without traditional prescription barriers [link]. Her advocacy aims to establish a support system within the legal community that facilitates better access to mental health resources, ensuring lawyers receive the care they need to effectively manage their duties.
Bar Admissions
2017, North Carolina State Bar
2018, U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina
Law School
Campbell University, Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law (J.D.)
College
University of South Carolina Upstate (B.S.) cum laude
Other Languages
Spanish – Fluent (speaking, reading, writing)
French – limited proficiency (speaking)
